title: Is there association between acyl-ghrelin and inflammation in hemodialysis patients?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) present anorexia, which may be related with the chronic inflammatory process. Thus the objective of this study was to evaluate if there is association between inflammation and the orexigenic hormone, acyl-ghrelin, in CKD patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six patients were studied (61.1% men, 46.7 ± 14.9 years, BMI 22.9 ± 3.9 kg/m²) in regular HD program (65.0 ± 46.8 months). Plasma levels of acyl-ghrelin and inflammatory markers TNF-α, IL-6 and CRP were measured by enzyme immunoassay (ELI-SA, Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay). Anthropometric parameters were collected for assessment of nutritional status and dietary intake was assessed by food recall.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients presented elevated plasma levels of IL-6 (83 ± 10 pg/mL), TNF-α (21.06 pg/mL [20.6-40.0]) and CRP (2.7 pg/mL [1.73.4]) compared to normal values. Acylghrelin plasma levels were (18.0 [1.3 to 77.7 pg/mL]) low when compared to healthy individuals. However, patients with high BMI (> 25 kg/m²) presented lower acyl-ghrelin plasma levels (13.6 [1.3 to 30.5] pg/mL) when compared to patients with BMI < 25 kg/m² (21.7 [7.4 to 77.7] pg/mL) (p < 0.05). Acylghrelin and BMI were negatively correlated (r = -0.38, p = 0.02) and there was no significant correlation between acyl-ghrelin and inflammatory markers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hemodialysis patients showed low acyl-ghrelin levels and seem to present an acyl-ghrelin resistance and there was no correlation between inflammation and this orexigenic hormone.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program on Cardiovascular Sciences, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, Brazil. afariabarros@gmail.com
authors.forename: Amanda de Faria
authors.initials: Ade F
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Cristiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.forename: Milena Barcza Stockler
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Julie Calixto
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lobo
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mafra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein